Baked Lemon Garlic Salmon

You’ll love this tender baked lemon garlic salmon recipe. It takes moments to prep and 20 minutes of hands-off cooking time. Baking salmon in foil ensures perfectly cooked, flaky fish every time. Plus, clean up is a breeze!

My lemon garlic salmon recipe is easy enough for a beginner to make on a weeknight, but elegant enough to serve at a dinner party. To give the salmon bold flavor I mix lemon juice and zest with olive oil, lots of finely chopped garlic, herbaceous oregano, and, for gorgeous color, paprika. 

I love cooking a big piece of salmon to make something that feels “fancy” but really takes very little time and effort. If you feel intimidated by the idea of cooking a large salmon fillet, don’t be!

Just like cooking salmon En Papillote (in parchment), baking salmon wrapped in foil traps the steam and ensures flaky, never-never dry fish infused with flavor all the way through. And you don’t have to worry about flipping it or removing the skin. Once it’s done the flesh lifts right off!

Seafood is a staple of the Mediterranean diet, and salmon in particular is high in vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids and low in saturated fat. It’s also just a beautiful, tasty fish and a household favorite. I just know you’re gonna love it!

Table of Contents

1. What is in Lemon Garlic Salmon?
2. Ingredient Spotlight
3. How to Make Lemon Garlic Salmon
1. Prep the Pan and Sauce
2.  Season and Wrap the Salmon
3. Bake In Foil, then Broil Until Golden at the Edges
4. How Can I Tell When Salmon is Cooked Through? 
5. Swaps and Substitutions 
6. What to Look for When Buying Salmon?
7. What to Serve with Lemon Garlic Salmon
8. More Easy Salmon Recipes
9. Baked Lemon Garlic Salmon Recipe

What is in Lemon Garlic Salmon?

Besides the fish, I usually have everything I need on hand to make Lemon Garlic Salmon. Maybe you don’t go through as many lemons, or as much garlic or parsley as I do, in which case you might need to pick up just a few more things! Here’s what you’ll need: 

• Salmon: Buy a big piece of fish for this recipe. I aim for two pounds of salmon, which, depending on the type of salmon you can get, might be an entire filet or a big center-cut piece. For this recipe, I prefer to buy the salmon with the skin still on. I find it helps the fish to hold its shape as it cooks. You can eat it or leave it in the pan as you serve. 
• Spices: Oregano adds its refreshing herbal flavor, while paprika brings toasty warmth and incredible orange color. Kosher salt and ground black pepper turn up the volume on the other flavors. 
• Lemon: You’ll need three big lemons for this recipe. The zest and juice of two adds lots of tanginess to the sauce, and the third I like to slice into rings to bake on top—just because it’s pretty—and wedges so people can add some more fresh lemon at the table. 
• Garlic and lemon is a match made in heaven. The lemon tames the heat of the garlic, which steams in the foil to release its sweet yet pungent flavor. Make sure to chop or mince it finely; nobody wants to bite into a big chunk of garlic! 
• Extra virgin olive oil is the rich, flavorful base for the sauce that allows the flavor of the dry spices to bloom and balances the sharpness of the lemon. A high-quality extra virgin variety will give you the best flavor. 
• Parsley: Finishing the fish with a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley not only looks nice, the green really makes the reddish sauce pop! It also adds a nice note of fresh green flavor. 

Ingredient Spotlight

Though it’s not a star of this dish in terms of flavor, sweet paprika is a stealthy Mediterranean M.V.P. in this Lemon Garlic Salmon recipe because of the luscious orange color it gives the sauce.

Often used as a sprinkle just for color, sweet paprika is a chili powder made from dried and ground sweet red peppers. It has a pleasant, fruity flavor that tastes a little warm, but not hot. 

• TRY IT: Find my favorite Spanish sweet paprika at our shop.

How to Make Lemon Garlic Salmon

Making tender and juicy salmon with lemon and garlic is as easy as mixing up a sauce and baking the fish in the oven. Here’s the method step by step: 

Prep the Pan and Sauce

• Get ready. Position one oven rack in the center and one rack about 6-inches from the broiler. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line a sheet pan longways with a large piece of foil, large enough to fold over the salmon. Brush the foil with extra virgin olive oil.
• Make the lemon-garlic sauce. Zest one of 3 lemons into a small bowl or measuring cup, then add the juice from 2 lemons. Add 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 5 chopped cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and whisk to combine.

 Season and Wrap the Salmon

• Prepare the salmon. Pat a 2-pound salmon fillet dry and season it well on both sides with Kosher salt. Place it on the foil, skin side down. Carefully pour the lemon garlic sauce on top, bending the foil upwards around the fish to contain the liquid. Use a spoon or a pastry brush to spread the sauce evenly across the surface of the fish. Slice half of the remaining lemon into rounds and the other half into wedges, and place the rounds on top of the salmon. 
• Wrap the salmon in foil. Fold the loose end of the foil up and over the salmon, tenting it high enough so there’s an air pocket between the foil and the lemons on top of the salmon. Crimp the foil closed at the top and sides to encase the fish and trap the steam. If you didn’t leave quite a long enough piece of foil, simply tear off another sheet and crimp the two together. 

Bake In Foil, then Broil Until Golden at the Edges

• Bake the salmon. Bake in the hot oven until the salmon is almost cooked through at the thickest part (see note),15 to 20 minutes.
• Broil the salmon. Carefully remove the pan from the oven and open the foil, folding it out to reveal the top of the salmon. Turn your broiler to high and place the salmon under the broiler briefly, until the top is lightly browned and the salmon is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Watch closely as it broils to make sure it doesn’t overcook and the lemons and garlic do not burn. Remove the salmon from the oven (see note).
• Serve. Sprinkle the salmon with the parsley and serve with the lemon wedges on the side.

How Can I Tell When Salmon is Cooked Through? 

This Lemon Garlic Salmon recipe is cooked through when the fish separates into flakes easily at the touch of a fork. It can be a little more challenging to check the progress of fish as it cooks in the oven, so there are three things to keep in mind: 

• The cooking time will vary based on the thickness of your fish: If your salmon fillet is thinner, or from the tail end, check several minutes early to ensure it doesn’t overcook. If your piece is very thick, 1 1/2 or more inches, it may take a bit longer.
• How can you tell when salmon is cooked? When your fish is ready, it should flake at the touch of a fork. Poke the salmon with your fork at the thickest part of the fillet and gently pull a piece away; your fork should not meet any resistance. If you like, you can use an instant-read thermometer to check for doneness. The USDA recommends an internal temperature of 145°F, measured at the thickest part of the fish. Personally, I prefer salmon cooked to about 135°F.
• What to do if your salmon is underdone: If it’s almost there you can just wrap the foil back over the top and let it rest on the counter for a few minutes to finish cooking through with residual heat of the pan. If it needs more heat you can just return it to the oven. Even if the oven is off it will still have enough residual heat to continue cooking the fish. Don’t leave it too long! Salmon can easily go from under-cooked to over-cooked quickly. 

Swaps and Substitutions 

Because salmon is a fattier, more robust fish, it can stand up to bold Mediterranean flavors without being overwhelmed. I’ve slathered it in harissa, paired it with Dijon mustard, and even marinated it in pepper paste inspired by Turkish kabobs. As long as you’ve got enough garlic, it’s easy to make swaps to change this recipe in tasty ways:

• Salmon: Any other large piece of fish (trout, cod, halibut, etc). Just adjust the cooking time depending on the size and thickness of the fillet. 
• Sweet paprika: Smoked paprika would add a layer of smoky flavor which would be delicious! 
• Lemon: Lime.
• Parsley: Fresh cilantro, basil, or chives. 

What to Look for When Buying Salmon?

Buying a large piece of fish can be intimidating, but it’s actually pretty straightforward. When shopping for salmon, color and smell are your best indicators of quality. Look for salmon that has a vibrant pink hue and smells clean and not too fishy. It should be firm, not mushy or dry. 

When possible, opt for wild salmon, either fresh or frozen. Sustainably-farmed salmon is a good option as well.

What to Serve with Lemon Garlic Salmon

Don’t let this flavorful sauce go to waste! I love serving this Lemon Garlic Salmon recipe with something starchy. Greek lemon rice, herbed potatoes, or Greek roasted potatoes are some of my favorite ways to mop up the sauce.

I also think this dish needs a big, crunchy salad. You really can’t go wrong with my Mediterranean tomato and cucumber salad. It’s bright, refreshing and cooling. The perfect balance to this zesty salmon recipe. Note, this salmon cooks quickly, so make the sides before you put the salmon in the oven.

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*This post has recently been updated with new information for readers’ benefit.